Mr Ameh Ochojila, the company’s public relations officer said this in a statement on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Ochojila, said that the application named ‘ephonetaxi’ will help provide solution to the growing number of stolen phones in the country and across the globe.

“The application ‘ephonetaxi’ helps to lock out anyone who is unauthorised to use the phone, making it unusable and unsellable,” he said.

According to him, the application is designed to protect phone owners and the information stored on their phones from being compromised in the event of a phone theft.

“The application helps retrieve and send the user’s stored contents to his email.

“It also locks the phone, prevents either unauthorised access to stored pictures, videos, messages, or contacts of the phone owner.

“The app alerts the phone owner of any change in SIM card, monitors, and tracks the phone location including taking pictures of criminals in possession of the phone and sending the pictures to the email address of the owner,” he said.

Ochojila added: “The owner can do all these remotely in spite of the phone being lost or stolen.

“Once a phone is locked remotely by the owner, buying it will be a mere waste of money.”

The technical manager of the company, Mr Kelvin Raymond said that the application could also be used to trace kidnappers as it can reveal real-time location of mobile phones.

Mr Gideon Egbuchulam, Chairman of the company said that the application was one of the application lined up by the company to meet technical and software needs of Nigerians.

Egbuchulam said that the company had opened an incubation centre in Abuja where he planned to recruit brilliant young Nigerian Information Technology (IT) professionals.

“Given enabling environment, Nigerian youths will take Nigeria to the next Silicon Valley in Africa.

“Almost all giant tech companies in the world are interested in the Nigerian market and that is the reason our company is recruiting over 1000 people by the end of 2020 to support talented youths,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that available data showed that in 2016 alone, over 400,000 phones were stolen in the UK, with a good number of them shipped abroad for resale.

The data also showed that many of the stolen phones were first sold to criminal gangs who tried to access them for information that could be used to hack bank accounts of their owners, before selling them to end users.

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Atangwho who is also the Chief Executive Officer of TeleMed Online Clinic, told our reporter that mobile phones carry infectious pathogens such as bacteria and viruses that could be transmitted and cause serious health complications.

“People touch their mobile phones on average for three to four hours every day. We speak into them regularly, depositing microbes via droplets. We often have them with us while we eat, leading to the deposit of nutrients that help microbes thrive.

“Many people use them in bathrooms and in the toilet, leading to faecal contamination. This is why your phone accumulates a lot of germs.

“Most of us carry these exposed phones at home, at work, while shopping, in food-handling businesses, schools, bars, cafes, airports, healthcare facilities and virtually everywhere, to stay in touch.

“The fingers you use to shake hands with people clean up after using the toilet and touch contaminated surfaces like door handles and ATMs, are the same fingers you use to operate the mobile phone.

“That is how your phone keeps gathering germs from different sources. In fact, different species of microbes like Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, E.coli and viruses like Coronavirus can find their way to your phone screen so easily,” he said.

Atangwho also said that kissing over the phone when not sanitised could also transmit germs into the body.

“Sadly, some people kiss their phone screen while making calls with a loved one, in the name of kissing over the phone.

“If the screen is dirty and contaminated, you are basically kissing germs and giving them a free pass into your body. Your lips should not touch your phone screen,” he said.

The physician, however, highlighted tips on how to prevent mobile phone contamination and disease transmission.

“Do not turn your phone into a germs production factory. Disinfect to reduce your risks of getting sick from bacteria, viruses and fungi lurking on your phone.

“Protect yourself, protect others. Stay safe from your phone germs.

“Do not take your mobile phone to the toilet; do not kiss it with your lips, wash your hands regularly and use alcohol-based scrubs, sanitisers or wipes with 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol to disinfect your phone often.

“Check with your phone manufacturer’s website for any specific instructions on this to avoid damaging your device,” he said.

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